Review: City Of Glass – The Diving Bell EP

City Of Glass hail from Vancouver and have recently been wooing British audiences with their brand of guitar and beats-driven indie rock. It’s a tactic which has recently brought the likes of Delphic success but the Canadian duo of Michael Champion and David Phu tend to aim for the heartstrings a little more.

‘Sticks And Stones’ is festooned with ringing guitars and keyboards and topped off with some rather earnest vocals that don’t seem to match the happy exterior of the instrumental backing. For the second song, the duo seem to be hitting their stride and finding the right balance between melancholy and vibrancy. ‘Tourist’ features synth backing which varies between the epic and the subtle and this fits the emotive pull of Champion’s tones so much better. Meanwhile, ‘Little Shadows’ dispenses just the right amount of yearning. It’s actually ‘Control’ which impresses most though, as layers of electronica help to forge that level of nocturnal longing which Junior Boys have turned in to an art form.

Overall, it’s a promising EP from a new act that bodes well for an upcoming album. If they can explore their soulful side still further, then that promise should also be fulfilled.